Conventional computer systems allow a user, who remembers a general location where a file resides in a file system, to click and search through a hierarchy of folders to find a desired file. To verify that the desired file has been located, the user can either recognize the file name or can open the file in order to launch the file's native application in order to view the file's contents.
Conventional computer systems allow the user to create different file paths to access different stored resources such as files and folders. For example, instead of clicking through folders and sub-folders displayed in a window, a user can access (and enable others to access) a desired file by providing an appropriate text string identifying a complete file path to the file. In order to properly access a stored file, the entered file path must correctly identify the file amongst folders and directories in which the file resides. Additionally, the user must observe proper formatting rules when creating the file path. Otherwise, the file path cannot be used to access stored content.
The file path as discussed above can be created for inclusion in a document. For example, a user may be required to enter (e.g., type in by hand) the text of the complete file path defining a link to be embedded in the document. Typically, if the user cannot remember all the segments of the file path, then the user must leave the native application of the document in order to open and click through folders and files to become familiar with all the directories and folders that make up the file path. If the complete file path is displayed via the file management software of the conventional computer system, then the user can copy the complete file path, return to native application, and then paste the copied file path into the document.